Running from His Claim (Beauty and the Beast #2)

Chapter 10

*toned down (this will appear from time to time)

Victor picked me up for school. I had expected to drive in alone, thinking he was still mad at me. He was quiet throughout the drive, which I accepted. I was starting to like his rock music anyway.

The school day dragged as expected. I really wanted to  audition, but I knew better than to bring it up again. All day I kept wondering if I could find another co star, and if Mitch would be okay with that. The reprieve acting would offer me seemed too good to pass up.

But I really didn't want to do it without Vic. Part of the comfort of acting was that I'd get to be with him through every moment of it. By the end of the day, I'd decided against it. Mitch had been right - Vic and I worked on stage because we had a connection. And Vic had been right too. Much as I hated it, I had to respect his choice. I just needed to find something else to distract me...

So when he took me to his car right after school, I didn't complain. The drive home was mainly quiet. When he pulled up in my driveway, he sat back in the car and ran his hand through his hair.

I'd been about to exit but I turned to him curiously. "What?"

"Can I come in?"

"Since when do you have to ask?" I frowned.

He chuckled, then reached over to his back seat and grabbed his bag. "Here, you'll need this."

I raised a brow, then took the pages in his hand and skimmed through curiously. A grin broke over my face and I re-read just to be sure. Yep, I was looking at the audition piece.

"Oh Vic, thank you!" I threw myself at him, hugging him excitedly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

He laughed, sounding a little uncomfortable, then glanced out the window when I sat back, embarrassed at my display.

"Now I feel like shit for how I reacted on Friday," he said sheepishly. "Sorry about that."

"No, it's okay," I said. I gazed lovingly at the white pages as though they held Nirvana, and last week was long forgotten. "Thanks for doing this, though. And you don't even have to stick around much. Just the scheduled rehearsals at school will be fine."

"Hey." When I looked up, I blinked. He was right in my face, and he tilted his head as he looked into my eyes. "I'm all the way in. You're just going to have to deal with my madness. I'll nest just this once."

"I'm used to it," I laughed, remembering the way he acted during the winter. "Speaking of, where's my painting?"

He gave a me bland look and I raised a brow. When he realised that I meant it, he rolled his eyes. "You really didn't open it?"

"Open wha- Oh!" I suddenly remembered the huge awkward object he gave me on Friday before he took off. "Oh gosh! That's what it was? Why didn't you say anything?"

"Why didn't you open it? Who doesn't open a gift?"

"How was I supposed to know it was a gift?" I retorted. "You just shoved it at me and ran off!"

He sighed loudly. "Fine! Open it later." He stepped out the car and I followed him. When we got inside, he said, "You need to make some lunch?"

"Um, just a sec. I have painting to hang," I announced proudly, making him laugh. When he meandered towards the living room, I turned to him. "Where do you think you're going?" He raised a brow. "I need your height. Come on."

He dropped his bag and followed me up to my room. Once there, I headed straight to my closet and yanked it open with relish, pulling out the painting. It was still wrapped. I sat down on my bed and bit my lip in concentration, trying to figure out where to start opening it.